Woman&#39;s undergarment



Dec. 23, 1952 l.. L ANcEs WOMAN'S UNDERGARMENT Filed April s, 1951 FIG.5

lNvEN-roR I EO LANCES I" Emi?. @I Hls ATTORNEYS041 Patented Dec. 23, 1952 WOMANS UNDERGARMENT Leo Lances, New York, N. Y., assignor to Edith Lances Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 3, 1951, Serial No. 219,078

2 Claims.

This invention relates to womens undergarments and is directed particularly to a novel, comfortable-to-wear, one-piece, diaphragm and breast supporting garment.

An object of the invention is the provision of a novel undergarment which will rmly but comfortably control and support the diaphragm, while comfortably enclosing, separating and supporting the breasts of the wearer.v

The prime object of the invention is to provide a novel garment of the type described comprising a substantially non-extensible diaphragmsupport section and a breast-support section, including breast pockets, extensible in a generally horizontal, outward-upward, direction, so interconnected as to permit movement of the breast-support section in accordance with bodily movement and wherein the diaphragm-support section of the garment is so related to the breastsupport section thereof, that the wearer will eX- perience no pull or tension whatsoever, nor any harness-like confinement, while breathing or while executing other bodily movements but nevertheless will have definite but comfortably controlled support of the diaphragm and breast areas of the body.

The invention will be understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof which will serve to exemplify, rather than to limit, the invention, and by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of a garment embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view thereof; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawing, and rst to Fig. 1, the full lines show the relative positions of the parts when under tension as when worn and the dot-and-dash lines represent the outline of the garment as it appears when not in use.

A central diaphragm covering section I, of non-extensible material, suitably joined, as by lines of stitching 2, to a pair of substantially similar non-extensble-material end sections 3 comprise a diaphragm-support member adapted to be secured firmly about the wearers body by suitable fastening means such, for example, by hooks 4 and eyes 5, 5'. Alternatively, diaphragm covering section I and end sections 3 may be untary instead of comprising three separate, sewn together, sections.

Anchoring means, such as hooks 6, 6 may, if desired, be provided on the lower front and side edges, respectively, of the garment for attachment to a girdle, when one is worn by the user of the garment. l

A pair of breast pockets 'I of non-extensible material, having tucks 8, 8 therein to eiect concavity thereof, are attached by the lines of stitching 2 to the upper inside edges of end sections 3.

Straps 9 attached, respectively, to the top edges of pockets 'I and end section 3 are provided for placement over and positioning upon the shoulders of the wearer of the garment.

A sheathed resilient member I0, of wire or other suitable springy material, having a central section II (preferably covered with a cloth cap Il) disposed between and separating breast pockets I and two symmetrical, oppositely-disposed, depending, arcuate sections I2, resiliently interconnecting the pockets are secured, as by lines of stitching I3, along the adjacent side edges and the lower edges of the back of pockets "I, to the ends thereof.

Pockets l, together with resilient'member It and shoulder straps 9, generally comprise the breast-support member of the garment.

The pockets 'I are joined along their peripheral adjacent side and lower edges by a depending two-way-stretch material insert member I4, such as elastic or other appropriate material. The edges of the remote side ends of insert member I4 are secured by the respective lines of stitching 2 to end sections 3 and the lower edge of insert I4 is joined, as by a line of stitching I5 to diaphragm covering member I.

If desired, and to insure a more snug fit of the garment to the body of the wearer, elastic gussets I6 may be provided in end members 3.

Referring now to'Figs. 2 and 3, strips of pile fabric I8 may, if desired, be sewn to the back of the garment behind and to act as cushioning means for resilient member Ill.

When the garment is fastened securely around the body of the wearer by the means 4 and 5 or 5 provided at the extreme ends thereof, it Will acquire the extended form shown by the solid lines in Fig. 1 (as contrasted with the form it has when off the body as depicted by the dot-anddash lines of Fig. 1), the arcuate sections I2 of resilientl member I0 being drawn away from each other and up under the breasts to provide comfortable separation and cradling thereof. Because of the limited fullness of breast pockets 'I and the absence of any stiffening or rigidity therein, except in the peripheral edge areas thereof between and under the breasts, the wearer experiences no pulling sensation but only comfortable side and lower support of the breasts.

When, in wearing the garment of the present invention, the arcuate sections I2 of resilient member I are moved away from each other and up under the breasts of the wearer, pulling tension or forces are set up in the area between and below breast pockets 'I which, but for the action of ltwo-way-stretch member I4, would be transmitted to diaphragm-Support member I and would tend to pull it upwardly away from its proper position over the diaphragm.

However, by utilizing two-way stretch material member I4 of the present invention, such tension as may lbe created in the areas between and below the breast-pockets would. -be transmitted to the areas of insert member 4lfl immediately adjacent thereto and therein would be dissipated or equalized by the action of the twoway-stretch material and would not be transmitted to the upper edge of diaphragm-support member I.

Furthermore, should there be any undue downward pull exerted by diaphragm support member I such, for example, as might occur when hooks 6, 6 of the garment are connected to a girdle, such pulling force as might be created adjacent its upper edge would also Vbe transmitted to and be dissipated or equalized i-n the elastic area of insert I4 immediately adjacent thereto and would not be transmitted to the breast-support member.

From the foregoing, it is evident that the present invention provides an extremely comfortable-to-wear womans undergarment `oi the class described, wherein by the novel combination of its members and their conjoint action when fastened about the body, the wearer at all times has denite but comfortable diaphragm and breast control and support, during respiration and other body movements, the non-extensible diaphragm-support member comfortably preventing uncontrolled expansion of the diaphragm and the extensible breast-support member, interconnected by the two-way-stretch material insert, providing comfortable, supported, controlled movement of the breasts.

I claim:

1. In a garment of the class described, Aa diaphragm-support member of substantially `nonextensible construction having a central portion narrower than its end portions and constructed and arranged to be firmly secured about the body, a breast-support member extensible in a generally horizontal, outward-upward, direction so as to yield to -movement of the body, said breast-support member including a, pair of breast pockets, a resilient member extending along the lower marginal edges of said pockets and a pair of shoulder straps, said breast pockets having their respective outer edges joined to the end portions of said diaphragm-support member, said resilient member comp-rising a, central section disposed between and pivotally connecting said pockets to maintain them a fixed distance apart but permit relative vertical movement thereof and a pair of depending oppositely disposed arcuate sections movable toward and away from each other so as ,to yield to movement of the body and said shoulder straps extending one each rom the top edge of each of said pockets to the top edge of each of said end portions and means interconnecting said diaphragm-support and breast-support members comprising a strip of twoway-stretch material extending along the lower marginal edges of said pockets and constructed and arranged so as to permit said move ment of said breast-support member, whereby said diaphragm-support member and said breastsupport mem-ber are maintained in proper relative positions on the body.

2. ln a garment of the class described, a diaphragm-support member and a breast-support member including breast pockets, said diaphragm-support member being of substantially non-extensible construction and having adjacent upper inner ends, and the pockets of said breast-support member being joined at their respective remote side edges to said adjacent upper inner ends of said diaphragm-support member and being pivotally connected together by a resilient member fastened to and extending along their respective adjacent side and lower marginal edges to maintain them a fixed .distance apart but permit relative vertical movement, and means comprising a Vstrip of two-way-stretch material interconnecting said two .membersin the region of said `breast pockets so as to permit independent up and down movement of said individual pockets with respect to said non-ex tensible diaphragm-support member and allowing said pockets .to yield to outward and upward movement of the body.

LEO LANCES.

REFERENCES CITED- The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,074,796 Mason 23, 1937 2,483,367 Glick Sept. 27, 1949 2,506,172 Plehn May 251950 2,528,105 Alberts Oct. 31, 1950 

